And one thing I missed commenting on…

…about the pet battles thing.

Well, two things really.

Most pets will become tradable

I have no illusions that this will work with pets that cost real money – such as anything BoA from the Blizzard Store, or pets from the various CEs. They did say most pets. But this might mean, for instance, that I might actually be able to buy a Toxic Wasteling – a pet that I want quite badly, but that’s eluded me so far – just off the Auction House, from somebody who was lucky enough to get multiples or who just doesn’t like the pet. And if I don’t find one on the AH…

Account wide pets

…I can just farm the event with my army of alts (I have eight characters eligible for holiday bosses as of right now – I’ll probably have more when that particular event hits), increasing my chances of getting lucky.

Also… and the one thing that will make me really happy if this system gets put in place, and really sad if it doesn’t work out… I’ll be able to rescue my Hippogryph Hatchling from obscurity and non-use.

You see, back in vanilla, before even server transfers existed (never mind faction transfers), I rerolled briefly on a different server, to a tauren druid, to try out my luck at raiding on that server. I think the whole endeavor lasted maybe half a year, if that? Then server transfers came out, I was missing alliance and my original character pretty badly, so I went back to her for the Burning Crusade and onwards and the tauren was left unplayed. (Although I did make some attempts at leveling her – but she’s still level 66, on a server I don’t play on anymore.)

While I was playing the tauren, though, the WoW TCG came out. And I bought a few packs out of curiosity. And I actually found a Thunderhead Hippogryph loot card.

I very seriously considered giving the pet to Aeliel. (“It’ll fit better, she’s a night elf, and what if I go back to playing her and regret not having the pet?”). I wish I had. Instead I gave it to the tauren, and now, well, I don’t really have it. It’s the only pet I have on an alt that I don’t have on my main. I don’t play that character, and even if I did play her, it would make no difference. I want that pet on my main.

(Yes, I know the Cenarion Hatchling from the Blizzard Store looks identical. It still wouldn’t be the same.)